Unemployed writer Alton Bennet (Alan Napier) tells psychiatrist Dr. Redman (Harold Vermilyea) about his nightmares, in which he dreams that he murders his wealthy wife Ruth (Irene Hervey). Redman's secretary, Merl Kramer (Dorothy Lamour), takes notes as Bennet denies coveting his wife's jewels, which are worth $100,000.

After Bennet is refused an advance from his publishers, he becomes jealous of Ruth's close relationship with handsome young architect Guy Bayard (Phillip Reed). That night, Merl gently rebuffs the unwanted advances of her boardinghouse neighbor, private detective Karl Benson (Dan Duryea), whom she considers only a friend. After Merl tells Karl about Bennet's case, Karl steals her office keys and has Charlie (Ian Wolfe), an unscrupulous locksmith and fence, duplicate them. Karl then accompanies Merl to her office for Redman's evening appointment with Ruth. When Karl sees bejewelled Ruth enter Redman's building with Bayard, he copies her address from her car registration.

The next day, Karl brings Ruth's jewels to Charlie, but Charlie accepts only the smaller pieces as he fears the larger ones. Karl then asks Merl to deposit his money in her bank account for safekeeping, and hides Ruth's jewels in his apartment. When homicide Detective Lt. Bill Dawson (Art Smith) arrives at the Bennet apartment to investigate Ruth's murder, he meets insurance investigator Joe Cooper (Sterling Hayden). Bennet vehemently denies having killed his wife, and his butler affirms that he had been incapacitated due to a large quantity of sleeping pills.

As the investigation proceeds, Joe precedes Dawson in questioning suspects. Hoping to put Dawson and Joe off, Karl investigates the murder, claiming that he is interested in the insurance company's reward for the recovery of Ruth's jewels. Karl then plants one of Ruth's rings in Merl's upholstered chairs, and when police later find the ring at a pawn broker, they trace it back to Merl.

Joe takes Merl out to dinner and learns that Bennet and Karl were the only persons in her apartment before she found the ring. Police arrest Merl. When Karl is confronted by Redman, who confesses to being Ruth's killer, Karl explains that he had also intended to frame Bennet for his wife's murder and steal her jewels, but as Redman got to her first, Karl knocked Redman out and stole the jewels from him. Karl now insists that they work together and split the reward. Merl, meanwhile, is interrogated by police, and Dawson orders Karl to search her apartment. Karl murders Redman, then plants the jewels in Merl's chair. After Merl is released, Karl forces her to pull the jewels out of her chair, and she realizes that she has been framed. Karl knocks her out and intends to throw her from the roof, but her awakening screams draw the police, and Karl pretends that he was attempting to prevent her from committing suicide. Back in Merl's apartment, Dawson brings in eyewitnesses who identify Karl as having been at the Bennets' apartment on the night of the murder. Karl is arrested, and later, Joe invites Merl to dinner.

A 1949 American film-noir crime film (a/k/a "The Man Who Stole a Dream") directed by Lewis R. Foster, produced by William H. Pine and William C. Thomas, screenplay by Whitman Chambers and Foster, based on L. S. Goldsmith's novel "The Man Who Stole a Dream" (1945 ), cinematography by Ernest Laszlo, starring Dorothy Lamour, Sterling Hayden, Dan Duryea, Irene Hervey, Phillip Reed, Harold Vermilyea, Alan Napier, Art Smith, Irving Bacon, Ian Wolfe, Maidie Norman, James Edwards, Ray Hyke, Morgan Farley, Keye Luke, and George Humbert.

American actress and singer Dorothy Lamour (1914 – 1996), born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, was of Spanish descent. Lamour began her career in the 1930s as a big band singer. In 1936, she moved to Hollywood, where she signed with Paramount Pictures. Her appearance as Ulah in "The Jungle Princess" (1936) brought her fame and marked the beginning of her image as the "Sarong Queen". She is best remembered for having appeared in the "Road to..." movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. The sixth film in the series, Road to Bali, was released in 1952, and you can watch it here:
   • Bing Crosby, Bob Hope & Dorothy Lamou...  

Audiences and critics found the plot too confusing, and the film was not popular on its initial release. The film was described by the producer as "somewhat troublesome" at the box office. Lisa Mateas of Turner Classic Movies said that "contemporary audiences ... will find that Manhandled does not disappoint".

There's a lot of nice little bits of business and a cynical, seedy edge that occasionally cuts through the more light-hearted nature of the film with the great Duryea doing another of his patented oily operator roles, and a terrific cast. A nifty little fun film, one that isn't particularly famous in the genre, but should be. For crime movie completists, any film with Duryea and Hayden is worth a watch.